Although frequency and urgency of urination are not life-threatening, it can be life-altering. People whose lives are interrupted by the constant need to urinate have many options available for relief.
Fluid management, pelvic floor exercises, and timed urination are the first line of intervention. By the time people seek a urologist, those strategies have already been attempted. In many cases, patients come in almost dehydrated because if they drink anything, they will be running to the bathroom or wetting their pants.
Medication is the next step. Ten different prescription options are available, all of which have the potential for being effective. Each one comes as a pill and is taken once or twice a day on daily basis. If the medication is discontinued, the urinary symptoms will eventually return. Although not curative, one of these pills may help control the symptoms.
If medication is not helpful, either bladder Botox or neuromodulation is the next therapy. Neuromodulation is a method of treatment in which electrical current is used to modulate the nerve signals that are transmitted from the brain to the bladder. Highly effective, and often completely replacing medication, the neuromodulator is implanted into the buttock area on one side, during a short surgical procedure that is done with light sedation. The device lasts for 5 to 10 years and can be replaced as needed. With changes in symptoms over time, the implant can be adjusted by the physician or the patient using a simple hand-held programmer. With the neuromodulator in place, people can swim, exercise, ski, and engage in sexual activity with no limitations. Many people forget that they have it!
Treatment for frequency and urgency of urination spans the spectrum from pelvic floor exercises to medication to implantation of a nerve modulator. If you would like to learn more about neuromodulation for bladder, please call our office or press the "Book Online" button to make an appointment to see one of our physicians.
